I hope you can help me. My boss is moving on to a new job and has requested Mascarpone Cheesecake or Cannolis. Her last day is October 4, 2013. I've tried calling Claro's in Tustin, but they said their Mascarpone cheesecake is freezerburned. I've called Cortina's in Orange, but they don't sell Mascarpone cheesecakes, and the Anaheim location is currently closed until later October because they had a fire....I also called Mascarpone's in Orange, and they do sell cheesecakes, though it is $50 and feeds 14-20. However, we probably only need 4-6 slices... and $50 seems a bit steep...

Also had Julian Pie co. Lives up to the hype. Nicely spiced with cinnamon, the flavor of the apples were highlighted, and is had the right amount of sweetness. I ate the whole pie. Didn't regret it one bit.

We ended up at Salerno winery for lunch and they have wine tasting as well as freshly baked bread and pizza. You can take a tour of the vineyards, and they have provocative statutes throughout the parking lot. It's a down to earth feel, but friendly service. The pizza dough was a nice blend of crispy and chewy with that refreshing tomato basil topping.

I'm planning to visit Julian for its famous pies and then heading to San Diego for dinner.

Price: Looking for a dinner for less than $25 a person.

Vibe: A place with hype that lives up to it, or a place that would be romantic for a date- i.e. scenic views, good food, place to talk. We could do a very low-key hole in the wall, to a nicer place. Doesn't matter.

I believe he was diagnosed a few years ago. He said it was very difficult in the beginning, especially changing his lifestyle to find ways to be social without involving alcohol, but he seems to have a better handle of it now. I think that he may take the approach where he just eats whatever he wants and then deals with the consequences later. It's true, he can probably find something on any menu, and I think he'd probably feel better that he is taking control of the condition instead of letting it dictate his life.

You are correct, the spicy-ness and panchan may be a problem, as well as the red meat. I envision grilled chicken as an option for him, but I'm not too sure if it will be a good idea.

Pasta may work as well, though some places may be oily or have butter or heavy cream. I suppose we can try for a tomato based pasta.

Thing is, he has a very advanced palate and really tastes food like a pro... it is a shame that now a lot of foods may trigger his symptoms.Other thing is, he tells me that he tries not to have the disease control his life.

I'm trying to balance between something that may be as little trouble for his symptoms and something that may work for everyone else as well. We can't make everybody happy, but we shall see what possibilities are out there!

I'm looking for a place to eat in around Los Angeles for a group of 6. We were thinking possibly Korean BBQ in K-town, or something similar, and we pay around $15-25 per person, but the lower the cost, the better. We are also open to other places too besides BBQ.

I'm looking for a place to eat dinner near Magnificent Mile area. Any place I must visit? I will likely have a car, but would rather find a place walking distance to the area, and would like to eat a dinner that is unique to Chicago... pizza, hot dogs, etc... but I would also be happy with seafood (Joe's seafood? GT Fish and Oyster?) or Mediterranean food ( Purple Pig?) or...????

Would love suggestions on where you would go if you had one meal in near Magnificent Mile. I looked though this post: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/4370...and also open to suggestions for a lounge for late night snacks as well.

So here's what we did:-Lotus of Siam: Ordered the garlic prawns, which was memorable and delicious though it was deep fried. The shell was edible, and it was a hearty amount of shrimp meat. There was some oil perhaps a chili garlic oil on top. We also got crispy rice appetizer, which had sour and spicy notes which counteracted the oil. We also had the duck curry, which had a deep, rich taste of coconut milk. And, we ordered the drunken noodles, which is a sweet savory take on flat rice noodles, which we had with the sea bass. Overall, delicious, and we were definitely ordered a lot of food. Though people say that there are small portions, most of the dishes we ordered were fried, so we were full. - Buffet: Ended up splurging on Buffet instead of Steakhouse and went to Cesar's Palace. Impressed that they had hot crab legs and the tomahawk steak and lamb chops were well seasoned and cooked tenderly. I really enjoyed the molten lava cake and the potato gratin with a strong truffle flavor. - Estiatorio Milos: Octopus, Bass, and Yogurt. Highly recommend this place. Great service, octopus had the perfect texture, the grilled bass was light and simple- with lemon, olive oil and very moist. The yogurt was heavenly. My date ordered the tomatoes and feta appetizer, and I liked the freshness of the ingredients with a little vinagrette. He ordered the lambchops which were also cooked nicely and highlighted the lamb flavor. The walnut cake was a bit on the dry side, but had this ice cream on top that tasted almost rustic and like a forest. Also liked the sourdough wheat blended bread and olive oil with zataar.

Native Foods, Costa Mesa http://www.nativefoods.com/ ( Native Foods has beer and wine) I love the watermelon fresca. Native Foods also has locations in LA, i.e. Westwood. I find that Thai food is pretty accommodating to Vegetarian diners, and you could try for somewhere in Thai town...

Thanks for chiming in! Hmm.. as far as the types of cuisine I like, it's a long list, in no order,: Greek, Japanese, Thai, Chinese, Korean, French, Healthy/Light/Vegan/Vegetarian, Middle-eastern, Vietnamese, seafood... and lots more... In short, I eat anything and am adventurous in regards to food. Though, I don't find myself craving "American " food too much, however, my dining companion also appreciates a good burger, pizza or hot dog . Though he is a creature of habit, I'm sure he can be convinced to try a new restaurant while we're out there.

I'll be heading to Vegas from California for a few days later in Summer, and will be staying on the strip and have access to a car. We prefer places that take reservations or have shorter lines.

Help would be appreciated:

The two of us are looking for:- A steakhouse for either lunch or dinner, for no more than $50 per person (doesn't include tax and tip) with either prime rib, bone-in rib eye, strip. We were considering CUT, Carnevino, and Delmonico, but are open to suggestions. ( If there is a non-steakhouse restaurant in Vegas that would be ultra memorable, for no more than $50 per person that would work too!) - A Buffet for weekday lunch. We like crab legs, and seafood, but are also meat eaters and are considering Studio B buffet- but if you know of a better one, we'd love to hear your suggestion. Under $25 per person. (Also, is there a best time to go?) - A few restaurants for lunch/ dinner that are under $25 per person- (though ideally, we'd love to find a place for less than $20 for both of us- are there no "cheap places on/near the strip" with decent food? ) Places that are good value for the money. A few ideas: Lotus of Siam, Estiatorio Milos... Tacos Gordos...

Boiling Crab is fun, relatively inexpensive, and great for groups. The line might be an hour or so, but it's an experience for sure: bibs, taking the shells off crawfish and shrimp smothered in the whole sha-bang sauce... If you do go, see if you can pick up a loaf of bread of a nearby Vietnamese bakery to absorb some of the sauce.